


In Amongst Roses

by Kalloway



Category: Machine City Knights - Erin A. Bisson
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-03 22:36:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12156198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: Astri spends another night in Firerose Tower and is still, almost constantly, surprised.





	In Amongst Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Table 4 - Midnight
> 
> (The 'Works of Erin A. Bisson' table, apparently!)

Had she dozed off? Astri wanted to be embarrassed but it was difficult when she was comfortable, warm, and-- Surya was running his fingers through her hair like she was a housepet of some sort, wasn't he? 

"Mmnn?" she opened her eyes, not entirely expecting a bedside light to be on. It had to be for her benefit, not his. Astri knew damned well that Surya could see in the... anything. "What time is it?"

She blinked and looked at him, and at the datapad he had propped on his lap. "Are you working?"

Surya chuckled and ran his fingers through her hair again. What was the draw of--? Oh, she'd showered and yes, her hair when it was clean and dry... It had been a very nice shower, though. If anyone ever asked her what Firerose Tower was like, she'd say the bathrooms were pretty normal and the water pressure was perfect. 

Surya told her the time and since it had been after midnight when they'd arrived, well, Astri was a little surprised she was awake. Especially considering her adventures before being scooped up, near-literally, by Surya. (The adventures after had been almost equally exhausting, albeit in a very different way.)

"And I'm not working," Surya added, as he tipped the corner of the datapad in her direction. 

Curious, Astri pushed herself upright and tugged a sheet along with her to cover her chest. Honestly, she either needed to just give up and leave some clothing there or demand Surya give her something to sleep in, if he even had anything remotely casual and comfortable enough for her to sleep in. 

Of course, both options suggested that this was not the last time this was going to happen and...

She looked at the datapad and blinked. "What--?"

"Newsletter with pictures from the last rose show," Surya explained. His grin was maddening but Astri couldn't help her expression. What was she even looking at? There were bright photos of roses, and Surya with some of his roses, and Surya absolutely surrounded by a pack of little old ladies who seemed downright delighted by his presence. It looked... Well, it was certainly something. 

Astri laughed. She knew, or at least suspected, that side of Surya existed, but it was still a far cry from, well, the last handful of hours of their shared existence. 

"Not what I was expecting," she managed as she reached to scroll down and look at a few more pictures. She was nearly leaning on him and shifted a bit so she comfortably could... "Looks..."

Not entirely boring, but not her choice for the weekend, she supposed. 

"It was a good show. Better turnout than expected." 

Surya's fingers were in her hair and Astri had to wonder if he was doing it on purpose. But she was comfortable and warm and even though she knew he'd needle her about it later, it was easy to close her eyes while Surya described the show... and doze back off for just a bit longer. 

Unsurprisingly, she dreamed of roses.


End file.
